


Their Dog

by writetherest



Category: Lost
Genre: F/M, Fambly Fluff, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-12
Updated: 2013-08-12
Packaged: 2017-12-23 06:41:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/923190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writetherest/pseuds/writetherest
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No way. We ain't buyin' the kid no rat-dog, Juliet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Their Dog

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Lost Post-Finale Fic Battle.

He thinks he's been handling everything pretty well, considering that in the last few days both his mom and dad have introduced him to people that "are going to be a big part of our lives now". And he's okay with it, for the most part, because it's not like he's one of those kids who was expecting his parents to get back together. He's understood for a while now that that wasn't going to happen.

But for his mom and dad to both start dating new people at basically the same time is a little overwhelming. Plus, there's the fact that, in both cases, it seems like his parents have known their new significant others for a lot longer than they've been letting on. But his parents both seem happy, so he's doing his best to adjust to this new situation, and he thinks he's been handling everything pretty well. Which is why he decides that it's time to ask the question that he's been pondering for a while now.

"Can we get a pet?"

**

"No, James. Absolutely not!"

"Aww, c'mon, Blondie."

He looks over at his mother and James, standing in the back of the pet store, staring into one of the glass aquariums.

"I am not getting my son a snake, James." Mom is using her no nonsense tone, and even though they've only known each other for like a week, it seems like James has already figured out what that means, because he just shrugs at her and backs off.

"It was just a suggestion."

Mom rolls her eyes at him, but then grasps James' hand before heading over to where he's standing. He's by the rabbits and although he'd considered one briefly, he'd already decided that a rabbit wasn't really a good pet for a kid his age. He'd definitely get made fun of. As though validating his decision, both James and Mom say, "No bunnies" as soon as they stop behind him.

"O-kay." He says, turning and heading toward the kittens. Sometimes adults are really weird.

He spends a good amount of time checking out the cats, and there are definitely some cute ones that catch his eye, but in the end, he thinks that they're not really for him. He could see a cat curling up with his mom while she reads, but it's not the type of companion he's looking for.

So he goes to the section that he should've gone to in the first place. Puppies.

There aren't really that many breeds to choose from though, and he's not really interested in a small dog. Mom seems taken by them however, and is soon cuddling a Chihuahua puppy. It's James' turn to use his no nonsense voice.

"No way. We ain't buyin' the kid no rat-dog, Juliet."

Mom doesn't argue, just smiles widely at the fact that James used the word 'we'. She hands the puppy back to the lady who retrieved it for her and turns to look at him, the smile still on her face.

"Did you find anything, honey?"

"Nah. Not really. I want a dog, I think, but… James is right. I don't want a rat-dog."

James laughs at this, "See, what'd I tell ya?" and it's the first time that David really feels a connection with the other man.

James heads toward the exit, then stops and looks back at him and Mom. "C'mon. I got an idea."

**

The shelter is full of all sorts of dogs and as soon as they enter, he gets a good feeling about the place. His dog is here. He just needs to find it.

The three of them head for the kennels in the back, where the bigger dogs are kept, and as soon as they open the door, the barking begins. He searches the faces of every dog, stopping sometimes to lean down and get a closer look. He takes a German Shepherd out for a walk, but he just doesn't feel a connection with it.

When they reach the last row of kennels, he begins to worry that he's never going to find the pet he's looking for and that Mom will renege on her agreement. Then, he reaches the very last kennel. The dog in this cage is just sitting quietly, staring at him. Instantly he feels a connection with this dog. He leans down to get a closer look and hears the two adults behind him gasp slightly. He thinks he hears them say "Vincent", but that's not right, because the name on the cage is "Luke".

"This is Luke." Explains the woman from the shelter who's been helping them, looking in at the yellow Labrador Retriever. "He's one of our last chance dogs."

"Last chance dogs?" Mom asks.

"It means that he's been adopted before but brought back. He's been here for a long time. If we can't find him a good home soon…" Her voice trails off, but they all know how the sentence ends.

"Why's he been brought back?" James asks, still keeping his eyes glued to the dog.

"Luke was abandoned as a puppy. He lived on the streets for a while, until the dog catcher found him and brought him to us. He's leery of humans. He's not a bad dog, not at all, but he doesn't trust easily. He needs a family who will be willing to work with him, to give him love and attention. The family that adopted him couldn't do that. And no one else seems to want to take the risk on him."

He looks in at the dog, who seems to be looking right back at him, appraising him. "Hey there, Luke." He holds his hand up to the cage and is surprised and pleased when the dog comes over and sniffs his hand. He looks up, smiling, and notices that James is looking at Luke with a strange expression on his face.

"Mom? I think this is him."

Mom looks at James and then down at him and the dog. She smiles. "Yeah. Yeah, I think it is."

**

They have to fill out a bunch of paper work and go visit and play with Luke two more times in front of the people from the shelter before they'll let them adopt him. James comes with them each time and is there when they go to pick Luke up.

When it comes time to pay for Luke, Mom is digging around for her wallet when James puts the money on the counter. It surprises him and Mom too.

"James? What are you doing?"

"I'm buyin' the dog." James replies, as though it's obvious.

"James, you don't have to. He's my son. I can buy him a dog."

James looks at Mom, and for a second, his stomach starts to get knots in it. He's afraid they're going to fight over this, over him, like Mom and Dad used to, and that James will leave and Mom will be unhappy again.

But James just looks at Mom, really looks at her, like he's trying to tell her something with his eyes, and then says, "I know ya can. I know. But we went Dutch on the coffee, so…. just let me buy the kid the dog, huh, Blondie?" And it must be the right thing to say, because even though Mom's eyes have a bit of a shine to them, like there might be tears there, she's smiling really wide and laughing too.

"You got it, James."

And he's happy that Mom's happy and that James seems happy too, but there's also a part of him that wishes that Mom would've been the one to buy the dog. Because what if this thing between Mom and James doesn't work out? Even though they seem like they've known each other a lifetime and James hardly ever lets Mom out of his sight and he makes her really, really happy, what if it isn't enough? And what if, when James leaves, he takes Luke with him, because he thinks that Luke's his dog, since he bought him?

As though sensing what he's thinking, James turns to him and puts Luke's leash in his hand. "He's your dog, David. Yours, and no one else's."

"Thanks, James." He says and he finds that he really does like the cop.

"There's a two week trial period, during which you can bring the dog back and get a refund." The lady at the counter tells them.

"Two weeks, huh?" Mom laughs, and once again, it's like a secret she and James share, because they're giving each other these looks and James mumbles, "Then I guess we're stuck with him." And Mom just laughs some more.

**

The two weeks are an adjustment period for all of them, because even though Luke has taken to him, he is still standoff-ish and frightened sometimes. But he walks Luke and feeds him and takes care of him like he promised he would, and Luke slowly starts to come around.

James is at the house a lot and he and Luke form a quick bond. It seems like James really understands the dog and knows when to give him attention and when to give him space.

Soon, they've all fallen into a routine. James gets up in the mornings when he stays over (which is more often than not) and takes Luke with him on his daily run. By the time they get back, he and Mom are up and ready, so he tends to the dog while James showers and Mom makes breakfast. They all head out to work and school, and Luke enjoys his alone time in the house. After school, Luke lays beside him as he works on homework or practices the piano. Then they go outside and play, with Mom and James joining them when they can. In the evenings, Luke lays with his head in Mom's lap while she reads or wrestles on the floor with James or hangs out with him.

It's easy and normal, this routine, and pretty soon, he feels like they're all a family, like this is how it's supposed to be. And when James brings over a little blonde haired girl, who he introduces as his daughter, Clementine, Luke immediately licks her, right across her face. They are all silent for a few seconds, waiting to see how she reacts, but the little girl just giggles and throws her arms around Luke, and just like that, the tension is broken.

Soon Clementine is riding Luke through the halls while he and James chase her, playing cops and robbers, and Mom is scooping the little girl up to save her from "Daddy and Davy". And at night, when he lays in bed with Luke at his feet and Mom and James in her room and Clementine in the guest room, he realizes that they are, that they have become, a family. And Luke isn't just his dog. He's _their_ dog. And he's more than okay with that.  



End file.
